Residents are up in arms against a nearby waste processing unit.
Story so far: Residents from Banashankari 6th stage announced an indefinite dharna to demand the shifting or closure of a waste processing unit (WPU) in the neighbourhood. The residents allege that the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) unit emits a sickening stench and is potentially hazardous to people’s health.
- A resident revealed that the WPU processes 200 tonnes of waste, amounting to almost 30 truckloads worth of garbage every day. Its proximity to the Banashankari 6th stage has upended the lives of children and the elderly who complain of lung infections.
- Another resident reveals that the WPU has created a conducive habitat for an increased mosquito and fly populations which swarm the friendly, nearby houses. The same resident fears that there might be leachate percolation in the groundwater.
Why it matters? The WPU has been under fire since 2021. First set up in 2014, the WPU was closed down in 2021 by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Since some technical errors beset the old waste unit, NGT directed the BBMP to secure a fresh environment clearance. But the BBMP delayed its renewal by asking the Supreme Court for more time.
- The civic body obtained a provisional nod from the Pollution Control Board for operating the plant, subject to meeting the board’s stipulations. Later, the PCB revealed that BBMP has failed to comply with its norms.
BSWML’s response: According to BSWML’s chief engineer, the protestors’ demand to shut the facility is implausible since waste processing is critical to the city’s wellbeing. It was set up in the public interest, but issues with its functionality, if they exist, can be resolved.